Export growth declined to 11.3% from May's 15.3% amid weakness in China's key European and US markets.

China's slowing demand for oil, iron ore and other foreign goods is bad news for economies that had been looking to relatively strong Chinese growth to help drive global sales.

"The import slowdown was greater than expected," said Moody's analytics economist Alaistair Chan in a report.

As for foreign demand, "it is increasingly clear that exports will not be much of a boost to China's economy for some time".

China's economic growth has fallen to its lowest level since the 2008 global crisis due to anaemic demand for exports and government efforts to cool overheating and inflation.

Premier Wen Jiabao warned last weekend the economy faces further pressure to slow, suggesting Beijing might be considering more stimulus. It has reduced petrol prices and is pumping money into the economy through spending on building low-cost housing, airports and other public works.

Economic growth fell to 8.1% in the first quarter and data due out later this week is expected to show it fell as low as 7.3% in the second quarter. Analysts expect a rebound later this year.

The communist government has set an official target of increasing trade by 10% this year but private sector analysts say growth could be as low as zero.